England vs Australia

[gingergenius]

England squad now named:

Forwards: D Bell (Bath), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), J Crane (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), C Lawes (Northampton), L Moody (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), S Thompson (Brive), D Wilson (Bath).

Backs: M Banahan (Bath), D Care (Harlequins), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), A Erinle (Biarritz), S Geraghty (Northampton), A Goode (Brive), D Hipkiss (Leicester), P Hodgson (London Irish), U Monye (Harlequins), J Wilkinson (Toulon).

So the matchday lineup will probably be:

1. Payne
2. Hartley
3. Wilson
4. Deacon
5. Borthwick ©
6. Croft
7. Moody
8. Crane
9. Care/ Hodgson
10. Wilkinson
11. Banahan
12. Geraghty
13. Hipkiss
14. Cueto/ Monye
15. Monye/ Cueto

16. Thompson
17. Bell
18. Lawes
19. Haskell
20. Hodgson/ Care
21. Goode
22. Erinle

Which means that debuts will likely go to Courtney Lawes and Ayoola Erinle. Also means that Erinle could conceivably make his on the wing should there be an injury there...

All in all not a completely awful looking side. The front 5 is the most worrying, which is not what you'd normally say for England.

 

[Olyy]

Part of me thinks we're in with a chance,
But, really, i'm expecting an Aussie win. Hopefully we'll put up a big fight
Also, i hope Lawes gets some game time, he's a great big hitter, so hopefully he can batter some of the aussies into submission

Payne not too great, but we're pretty sparse on the prop front, so he'll have to do really, just johnson sticking with what he knows (despite what he knows being based on who he played with several years ago). Hopefully hartley can get under the skin of the oppositing 1-3 and force some errors or something,
Despite having a, potentially, good set of backs, i reckon most of our points will come from kicking

 

[Infern0]

I don't think we can win. It would be good to beat them because certainly we have no chance against the All Blacks and it will be nice to beat at least one Tri-Nations team.

However at the best of times an average Australian team is a 50/50 match for a good England team. Unless some youngster really comes through as a star for England we won't be able to beat them, you just need to compare man to man, and The Aussies are match fit and have gelled (even though they have been losing)

I think Wilkinson being in the team is a huge plus, It's sad to say but I would rather have him than all 7 of the injured first teamers, the man makes such an enormous difference and should help us to avoid humiliation.

 

[Jer1cho]

I think England are going to win, by far. Australia are ****.

 

[DonBilly]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jer1cho @ Nov 4 2009, 06:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I think England are going to win, by far. Australia are ****.[/b]

Wasn't it the only 3N side to defeat SA this season?

 

[Jer1cho]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DonBilly @ Nov 4 2009, 08:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Wasn't it the only 3N side to defeat SA this season?[/b]

Yeah, what's your point?

 

[Nickdnz]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jer1cho @ Nov 4 2009, 07:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DonBilly @ Nov 4 2009, 08:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wasn't it the only 3N side to defeat SA this season?[/b]

Yeah, what's your point?
[/b][/quote]
One good game this season, and SA were hardly impressive.

 

[DonBilly]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jer1cho @ Nov 4 2009, 07:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DonBilly @ Nov 4 2009, 08:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wasn't it the only 3N side to defeat SA this season?[/b]

Yeah, what's your point?
[/b][/quote]

My point is that if they have been able to defeat the current best Rugby side they are not so **** and it may not be that easy for England to beat them by a big margin.

 

[Jer1cho]

Uh, ok. Well i think they are crap. Australia's players are crap, and they have no gameplan. England look to me like a much stronger team than Australia.

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jer1cho @ Nov 4 2009, 08:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Uh, ok. Well i think they are crap. Australia's players are crap, and they have no gameplan. England look to me like a much stronger team than Australia.[/b]

I'm not saying that you're wrong or anysuch but that's still a really funny comment.

Edit: haha funny not the WTF type of funny.

 

[Daylightfire]

To be honest I'm looking at a better display than the last AIs. A win would be nice but a more cohesive performance is vital.

Looking at the match Squad I would be happy with :
1. Payne
2. Hartley
3. Wilson
4. Lawes
5. Borthwick ©
6. Croft
7. Moody
8. Crane
9. Care
10. Wilkinson
11. Banahan
12. Geraghty
13. Hipkiss
14. Monye
15. Cueto

16. Thompson
17. Bell
18. Deacon
19. Haskell
20. Hodgson
21. Goode
22. Erinle

 

[Bullitt]

Rumour has it Hartley's pulled his hammy and is out of this one.

As a side note; Why are people selecting Banahan?

 

[Prestwick]

I think big guy + speed = lots of people selecting him. Hey, it works for Ma'a Nonu and other huge backs...not so much Basturaad or whatever his name was though :huh:

England team to face Australia!

England team to face Australia: U Monye (Harlequins); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), D Hipkiss (Leicester), S Geraghty (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath); J Wilkinson (Toulon), D Care (Harlequins); T Payne (Wasps), S Thompson (Brive), D Wilson (Bath), L Deacon (Leicester), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), T Croft (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), J Crane (Leicester).

Replacements: D Hartley (Northampton), D Bell (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), P Hodgson (London Irish), A Goode (Brive), A Erinle (Biarritz).

Nice to see Thompson back although how well will he do?! Absolutely fascinating backline and I wonder how well Geraghty and Hipkiss will do. Interesting times ahead!

 

[bristol-iain]

Official Sweepstake!!! Winner gets.....umm.....eternal smugness.

How long until Jonny is taken off injured (blood replacement does not count)

I'm going for 24 minutes

 

[Prestwick]

How long before Moody gets binned for hugging/tackling someone off the ball long after the whistle has blown?

5 Minutes.

 

[Charles]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Nov 4 2009, 03:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I think big guy + speed = lots of people selecting him. Hey, it works for Ma'a Nonu and other huge backs...not so much Basturaad or whatever his name was though :huh:[/b]

He will come back nastier than ever...He is a tough nut.

He's lost some weight and somebody somehow taught him to pass the ball !

He'll be there for the 6N.

On a side note I wouldn't mind seeing him tested at #8...

 

[Bullitt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Prestwick @ Nov 4 2009, 01:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

How long before Moody gets binned for hugging/tackling someone off the ball long after the whistle has blown?

5 Minutes.[/b]

The first England binning in that 22 will be Haskell.

 

[Bullitt]

Good old Red Tops;

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...15875-21781394/

:lol:

 

[stormer2010]

Ironically, I think Aus have the better forwards and Eng the better looking backline although they haven't had time to get each other sorted out.

What is the world coming to.

(Although Englands' injuries up front as well as those to the Aus backline probably the main reason)

Most interesting match-up; Wilkonson vs Giteau. Two of the top 10s with probably the most differing styles. If my back where against the wall, though, I would prefer Wilko by my side.

That said, the lack of test matches together for this Eng squad and the fact that Aus has lead NZ at the break in 3 of their 4 (way too much 3N fixtures) match ups this season pushes me to pick Aus for the win. Wouldn't mind either way and wouldn't be surprised either way, though. Hmm, I'll be rooting for the SH as much as it hurts me to support the Aussies.

 

[Olyy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Teh Mite @ Nov 4 2009, 02:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Good old Red Tops;

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...15875-21781394/

:lol:[/b]

Gotta love the tabloids